Anyway, Anyhow
by candyks
Summary: Time passes since the Chilladeplhia Park fiasco, life is going good. Protecting the city is regular occurrence for Billy Batson and his family until Billy starts experiencing urges he should definitely be not, especially when they're directed towards no other but his best friend, Freddy Freeman. It drives Billy insane and there is nothing he could do to make them stop.
1. Urges

"Do you think we should start training?'' Freddy said from his chair in their room, eyes trained to the screen, pale fingers typing fast on the keyboard.

Billy was reading one of his roommate's superhero comics, deaf to the outside world. Not because it was that interesting, but how it reminded him of everything they went through.

Around two years has passed since their 'adventure' at the Chilladelphia amusement park. They were almost _seventeen_. A lot of things have changed since then but a lot of things have remained the same. Much or less. Like the money thing was not happening, no matter how much they wanted to go to the supermarket and buy all kinds of shitty snacks and not care, but they have agreed upon doing the good deed and the good deed did not involve selfies, tricks and other stupid stuff he used to do.

The whole family was as close together as ever, Billy and Freddy even more so. The lair was frequently visited by all of them, except Victor and Rosa, of course, but that was understandable. Billy sometimes got the vibe that they suspected something happening between their children, but seeing as it was making them understand each other and spend more time together, they were fine with whatever secret the kids were keeping from them. Even if it was about their children fighting petty and maybe not so petty crimes around the city.

So when a crutch poked his side unexpectedly, he surprised even himself with his reaction. In seconds he had Freddy pressed against the mattress, where he had been contemplating their life not long ago. Billy looming atop the defenceless body of his friend, mouth agape, pressing a skinny hand agains the boy's back in a strong hold.

"I think you're developing some serious reflexes right there, dude," Freddy said, voice muffled due to his face being pressed agains the bed covers. "So going into my list of superpowers.''

Billy released his grip as if he was burned, feet stumbling upon one of the many crappy stuff Freddy had in the room, falling on his ass on the floor. Freddy rolled onto his back and laughed at his clumsy friend, who was still looking at him with kind of scared expression.

"No big deal, dude,'' Freddy ruffled his black hair and moved his body into a sitting position. "You still didn't answer my question, tho.''

"Ugh, what was it again, didn't really hear you,'' Billy stood up from the ground and went for Freddy's chair instead. Reversing their previous positions. "Zoned out a bit, I guess.''

"Well, you guessed correct,'' Freddy raises an eyebrow at him. "As I was saying, do you think we should, you know, train to fight better or some stuff like that?''

"Are you for real?'' Billy laughed at the idea. "We have superpowers, dude, practically invincible in every aspect. What is the training for?''

"There is no need to mock my idea!'' Freddy huffed, crossing his arms. "I thought we could use it to understand our abilities a little bit more and to control them better. It took you one hell of a beating to learn how to fly!''

"You have a point there, but really? Training?'' The kind of condescending look Billy gave him, made his blood boil.

"If you have a better idea, I'm all ears,'' Freddy rolled his eyes.

To be honest, Billy's speciality wasn't ideas or anything close to creative thinking. And the more he thought of it, the more it sounded like a good plan. Who knows, they could even discover some new abilities.

"We should discuss it with the others, if they are in, there is no reason for us not to learn some new tricks,'' there was something really captivating in the way Freddy's whole face lit up. Deep inside himself Billy did not want to admit but he felt pleased with himself every time he made Freddy happy.

"Deal.''

* * *

"So how are we doing it?'' Pedro asked, from his 'throne'.

"I don't know, sparring partners?'' Offered Mary and Darla chuckled.

The young superheroes had gathered in the _lair_ to discuss Freddy's offer as Eugene started to call it. They had all agreed that they could use some training to unlock potential powers or just to master old ones. It would definitely be handy.

"I choose Freddy then,'' Darla giggled like the good sister she was.

"I think it would be better if we draw straws,'' Eugene offered while typing something really fast on his phone.

"Well, there are no sticks here,'' Pedro inclined his head towards the vast hall.

"We could use rocks!'' Darla beamed and got up to go and find some three pairs of identical stones.

"I got Mary!'' Darla immediately hugged the older girl as soon as she saw that the rocks they were holding matched.

"I'm with Pedro!'' Eugene said, phone laying forgotten on his chair.

"Dude, I'm fucking stuck with you again,'' Freddy groaned after looking at both his and Billy's rock.

"These should be my words,'' Billy rolled his eyes and threw his stone somewhere in the hall. "Prepare to have your ass handed to you in no time, dude!''

"Look who's talking,'' Freddy growled and leaned in Billy's personal space, then suddenly laughed and bumped a small fist in the taller's boy shoulder. "Challenge accepted, dude, you don't know what you have gotten yourself into!''

Only if Billy knew how right Freddy's words would turn out to be.

* * *

It started soon after Billy had turned seventeen. It has been happening for a few months, but Billy had dismissed it as his body growing, hormones going in a frenzy, adrenaline levels spiking way too often.

But three days ago he kind of found out his body is not reacting like that with everyone as would be normal for a teenage boy. Freddy had some school project which he could not postpone much longer and had to sit his ass down and do it before his History teacher called Rosa and told her that one of her foster children wasn't doing a shit at school. Then it definitely would become real game of thrones around the house.

So Billy was left without a partner for their usual training session on Wednesday, which sucked. But as it turned out Eugene had some game tournament happening that week, therefore he was also unavailable, so Pedro and Billy decided to partner up. Both still not wanting to partnered with the girls, afraid of hurting them, even though they had proved themselves more than capable of kicking the boys' asses. It's not that they hadn't kind of exchanged partners before, but they usually stuck with their training buddies throughout most of the session.

The training itself had been quite sick actually, Pedro was one hell of a fighter in his Shazam form (as they had started calling their older versions). It was what had been going on his mind after it. Billy found that during the training compared to the ones with Freddy, he was less aggressive, mind clearer, movements smoother and more precise, less tension, just less _domineering_. He did not feel the need to press his partner's body harsh onto the ground, bend it over some surface, pin it by his own, grip his throat hard, hear the panting beneath himself, the whimpers. None of it.

Not that Freddy was not a challenge, quite the opposite. It was too much of a challenge trying to always show his best friend who was more powerful, who was in charge, especially when Freddy was extremely fast, agility at it finest, calculative and most of all always bent on winning every duel. Billy took great pleasure in the fact that no matter he always won, Freddy's fire never extinguished. Always ready for more sparring.

This time Billy had been calm, collected through the whole training session, he had landed some really good punches as well as Pedro. As a whole it was productive and something different. His body was not frustrated at the end of it nor his nerves stretched thin from all the restraint he forced upon his urges. That was the moment Billy realised how bad the whole thing was turning.

Yesterday he even tried visiting the strip club to see if this was only happening when with Freddy or it really was his teenage body's hormones wanting to get laid. Maybe his body just didn't react to Pedro.

Man, he felt so disgusted with himself just by thinking this shit.

In few words, he felt even more disgusted the moment he stepped into the club. A woman touched his arm and he was ready to throw up on the spot. He couldn't even comprehend how he went there the first time. When he felt a hand on his thigh he bolted as if the Devil himself was after him.

Billy had returned home as his teenage self, it was late at night, he had told Pedro he should head home to dinner while he had to some things to do. Pedro had thrown him a strange look but said nothing nonetheless. Billy went for the kitchen first to grab something to eat, when someone coughed from the other side of the fridge's door. Billy stood there frozen with his head between the cool shelves of the fridge.

"Young man, where have you been this late?'' Victor voice although hushed, still boomed through the whole room.

Billy sighed and closed the the door of the fridge. His mind going miles per hour, trying to figure out some believable excuse.

"I-I went-" he gulped as Victor raised his eyebrow. "I just... my mother called, she wanted to see me after work, and she works late, so yeah,'' Billy rubbed his head at the back of his neck.

Victor sighed and put his hand onto the boy's shoulder.

"Call us next time, okay? We were worried.'' Victor smiled encouragingly at him.

"I'm sorry,'' Billy officially felt like a dick. "I'll call you next time, it was just unexpected and I...''

"Don't worry, son, nothing to be sorry for,'' Victor released his shoulder and turned towards the door of the kitchen. "Food's in the oven, it's your favourite.''

And with that he left the young boy to be by himself.

"Yes, lasagna,'' Billy clapped his hands and went to get it out of the oven. He was more than famished.

* * *

"Where were you yesterday?'' Freddy asked suspiciously in the following morning while he was slowly descending the stairs after the taller boy.

He had been waiting for him to watch the new episode of the Walking Dead until he finally fall asleep with his phone probably onto his face. Or at least he thought so, because he definitely didn't remember leaving it on his desk. Which meant two things.

Either Rosa had come into the room to check if both boys were in there, saw the phone plastered on his face and decided to spare him the humiliation of waking up like that, or Billy had done it. When he had gotten home. In the middle of the night. God knows from where.

Freddy didn't know how to feel if it was the latter. Like did Billy check on him in the complete darkness to see if he was truly sleeping. Gosh, he was such an idiot, where did those thoughts come from? The dark-haired boy was so deep in his musings that he barely registered that he didn't position his crutch well. Freddy braced for the painful fall, that should have followed. But instead he found himself being engulfed into the arms of his best friend, who was standing on the last step. His crutch fell, though.

It was quite a loud fall in the vacant hallway.

Freddy was kind of paralysed in their current predicament. He didn't understand how he felt with a nose buried in Billy's neck, who, on the other hand, was holding Freddy with his both arms gripping his waist.

"Dude, you okay?'' Had Billy's voice become deeper or were his ears failing him either? Freddy laughed and nodded his head. Billy released him and turned immediately towards the crutch and went to return it back to its owner.

"Yeah, thanks a lot, dude! I almost screamed Shazam, you know,'' both boys laughed and walked towards the kitchen, where everyone was talking about around it.

"Boys, go take a seat, the pancakes would be ready any minute now,'' Rosa told them from her place in front of the hob.

Mary and Victor were pitting the table on while Darla and Eugene were arguing which tastes better on pancakes - chocolate and banana or jam and cheese.

"Maple syrup, jeez, you have no taste,'' Freddy said when he passed around them.

"Boring,'' both Darla and Eugene said simultaneously.

Billy cackled but stopped the moment Freddy pierced him with a deadly glare around his shoulder.

* * *

"You wanna go to the movies tomorrow evening?'' Victor asked from his place at the end of the table, but before anyone could answer Mary decided to drop the bomb.

"Can't,'' Mary said while munching on her chocolate drenched pancake. "'Got a date.''

"Oh, a _date_?" Rosa inclined her head quizzically.

"With who?" Victor asked immediately.

"Is he handsome?" Darla giggled, fingers sticky and red covered in jam.

"Does he play video games?'' Eugene asked from behind his phone.

"Is it the blonde boy from last week?'' Everybody turned towards Pedro. "I just saw 'em together 's all.''

"Well, yes, Pedro, it is,'' Mary smirked, "and he is super smart,'' she winked at Eugene, "and he is really handsome.'' The older girl winked at Darla too and they both giggled.

Freddy and Billy gagged.

"It sounds like quite the catch,'' Victor mused. "You can bring him too if you'd like.''

"Okay, I'll think about it,'' Mary said and decided to change the topic. "So what movie are you planning upon watching?''

"Ooooh, there's a new sick superhero-" Freddy was interrupted.

"No more superhero movies, we've been watching only them for the past million times we've been to the movies,'' groaned Victor.

"Well, there's a Disney movie-" Darla started.

"No!'' Everybody said simultaneously, not wanting to hear anymore. They went to watch Frozen one time, ended up crying their eyes out, never again.

"I saw a billboard of some new family comedy with Kevin Hart, we could give it a try perhaps?'' Rosa offered and most of them agreed, which excluded, of course, Freddy whom together with Darla were sulking and eating quietly. Billy was...he didn't care much, though it would have been cool to see the superhero movie, but he did want for the whole family to be together. Maybe he and Freddy could go and watch it some other time.

Billy turned towards the boy to ask him, when he stumbled upon a view, he was definitely not ready to see. Freddy was licking the fingers on his left hand, completely covered in his favourite syrup. The end of his pink tongue darting swiftly over the tips of his fingers, trying to remove any syrup off them.

The older boy gulped, his vivid imagination immediately drew a series of pictures which all ended with Billy's hand gripping Freddy's mop of dark locks, guiding him, encouraging him as the smaller boy made him see stars.

Freddy looked at him and furrowed his brows, not understanding why Billy was watching him silently. The green-eyed boy quickly averted his gaze and took a deep breath.

This was spiralling out of control rather quickly and Billy had not idea what to do.

* * *

They were on school ground already, when Billy heard a piercing scream for help. He turned to the direction it came from, ready to bounce off and see what was happening.

"Freddy,'' he said sternly, not even looking at the other boy, "you have to present your History project today.'' Billy thought this was enough of an explanation, no need telling him he couldn't come.

"Somebody is in trouble, dude, I'm not sitting there explaining the Second World War in front bunch of students, who will be doing anything else but listening to my tirade,'' Freddy told him, eyebrow raised in you've-got-to-he-shitting-me grin.

"Yes, but our teacher will,'' Billy bit back.

"Just because you are the origins of our powers doesn't mean you are the only one who could be a superhero,'' Freddy immediately closed his mouth when he felt how wrong that sounded. He knew Billy was doing it for his own good, but he couldn't help but feel neglected as usual.

"Is this what you think I'm doing here? Really?'' The taller boy huffed and turned his back to the shorter one.

"I didn't-'' Freddy tried to apologise.

"Good luck on your project,'' and with that Billy started running, he had lost enough time already.

"Fuck!'' Freddy groaned and hit the street lamp as hard as he could. He hissed from the painful impact and immediately withdrew his arm, looking blankly at his chafed knuckles. Yeah, he knew it, he was the weak one. Why would they ever need him? Always so pathetic.

A group of boys passed by him, snickering.

"What are you laughing at?'' He growled at them and one of the boy flipped him the finger.

"Can't cry on your _boyfriend's_ shoulder now, huh?'' Other boy said to him and they all laughed. "You'll always be pathetic, Freeman!'' They turned towards the school and got inside.

Sometimes Freddy really did wish to just disappear. But the worst thing was whenever he went, people wouldn't be treating him any differently.

Two hands wrapped around his waist.

"We are family, Freddy, don't ever forget that!'' Darla smiled at him.

"Yeah, I know,'' he sighed and petted Darla's hair. That was the only thing he lived for.


	2. Warmth

"Thank you, thank you, thank you so much!'' The elderly woman kept kissing Billy's cheeks as if her life depended on it. Her bag did actually; who did even decide to rob an old woman in the morning with a gun? "This world needs more men like you, mister!'' She kissed the man/boy one more time, leaving him dazed while she waved him goodbye, her purse in hands.

'_Does it really?_' was the question which kept repeating itself in his mind. Did the world need people like _him_? Him, who was still scared that he will end up alone again, but continued to push his family away. Who couldn't believe what an incredible gift he had, but sometimes wished he did not. Who finally found a place he could call home, but whenever things got rough, he just ran away.

With a sullen expression Billy returned to his own self and started walking slowly towards the school. He was still pissed off at Freddy, but knew the other boy had his own insecurities. Everybody had.

Maybe his frustrating urges were finally going to calm down now when he and Freddy weren't on speaking terms. But who was he even kidding, Billy knew the moment he crossed paths with the shorter boy, Freddy wouldn't shut his mouth about something. He was always talking and although Billy did not want to admit it, it did calm him down whenever he listened to Freddy's voice. It had a feeling of familiarity and contentment.

Billy sighed and started walking faster. He was really loosing his mind.

* * *

Freddy sat down at the lunch table _alone_ and started munching on his fries. He had told Darla and the others that there was no need to always come and eat together. They had tried to tell him they did not do it for him, but Freddy was having non of it. And Billy was always there, sitting next to him, listening quietly why he explains yet another crazy theory, right? Well, apparently not this time.

Even the fries tasted bad that day, and Freddy _loved_ fries. Not as much as oranges, tho. But you couldn't get delicious oranges throughout the year. No matter that some stores were selling them during the summer, for him oranges were seasonal fruit. Nevermind, off topic. But before his brain could start simulating another 'deep' conversation with itself, something loudly fell on his lunch platter and Freddy almost fell out of his chair in surprise.

Billy sat on the chair to Freddy's right, munching on an apple.

"We cool?'' The taller boy said between bites.

"You better hope it's good, dude,'' Freddy said nonchalantly, pretending of course. "If not, you'll be sleeping on the couch.''

Billy could feel the cold shivers running down his back. That coach was the most uncomfortable place he had ever sat down, and he had sat down upon a lot of uncomfortable things, unfortunately. God forbid, to sleep on it.

"Dude, I'm kiddin','' Freddy bumped his small fist against Billy's shoulder. "For a second you looked paler than Martha when she found out her markers had been used for all the shit written on the stalls in the boys' bathrooms.''

"Well, that couch is no laughing matter,'' both boys laughed and continued eating.

"Aren't you going to eat something else?'' Freddy asked the older boy after his dramatic explanation of how the presentation of his project went. At the end Billy wasn't sure if the smaller boy had really fought during the Second World War or he had time-travelled back in time to experience it firsthand. Whatever it was, he had surely been present at that time if he judged by the way Freddy explained everything.

"Dude, you've nailed the project,'' Billy smirked as Freddy almost chocked on his water.

"Flattery won't make me write your own,'' Freddy said fumbling to close the water bottle. The tips of his ears as red as they could get. "Which, by the way, is due to next week. A small reminder, Captain Sparklefingers.'

Billy laughed at the old name, but his eyes were glued to the the dark-haired boy's red ears.

"It has nothing to do with that, dude, you know me'' the taller boy inclined his head towards the shorter one. "It's not like I give a shit about it, but yours does actually sound interesting. I always knew you were some secret genius.''

"Took you long enough to finally admit it,'' Freddy tried to joke, but his whole face flushed. Pupils dilated a bit. Billy took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. It was barely a compliment. Fuck.

"You got an A, didn't you?''

To stop hyperventilating, Freddy started fumbling with the orange, trying too peel it without much success.

"Everyone got good grades,'' Freddy said, not knowing what was even happening. Why he suddenly couldn't breath? And he felt so hot, as if he had temperature.

"But not excellent, Mr. Holland hates everybody,'' Billy wanted, no, _needed_ more. "You're just a really _smart_ boy, aren't you?''

Freddy practically whimpered. The half peeled orange rolled away from his fingers, dropping on the table. Glassy, unseeing eyes. Uneven breath. Trembling hands.

Yes, that was the reaction Billy craved so much. His friend was so..._responsive_.

Billy had to grip the table or else the shorter boy would be plastered on it in no time. For him to feast upon. Billy couldn't stop his hand from running through the dark locks of the other boy. He then suddenly gripped harder, pulling backwards, exposing the boy's pale throat. Shit.

Freddy opened his mouth in silent moan. Billy released his grip so fast as if he was struck by a lightning. He was disgusted with himself. What was he even doing? What had gotten over him? Thank God they they were ignored by the majority of the student as usual, sitting at a secluded corner in the school's cafeteria, or that would have been pretty _embarrassing_.

Billy grabbed the orange and continued peeling the rest, while Freddy was still kind of unaware of his surroundings. Just from a bit of...

No, he was not thinking of that anymore. Enough shameful thoughts for one day.

"So what was the emergency earlier? With the scream for help?'' Freddy was almost his usual self, though the still red tips of his ears gave him away. Billy wanted to bite them. Hard.

"An old granny almost got her purse stolen,'' Billy finished the orange and started splitting it to pieces. "It was a junkie, when he saw me he threw the bag on the ground and started running. I would have gone after him, but the granny had me suffocated by kisses.''

"Eww, dude,'' Freddy pulled a disgusted grimace. "Tell me you washed your face afterwards!'' He took away the piece of orange Billy was about to put in his mouth. "You are so not eating my orange with that face full of germs.''

"Hey, I was in my Shazam form!'' The older boy tried to defend his dignity.

"That's not an excuse!'' Freddy said while chewing. The orange tasted really good. "And it's still gross, so you know.''

"You're being childish,'' Billy tried to roll his eyes but ended up laughing.

"Ha-ha! Very funny,'' Freddy tried his best to remain impassive, but failed spectacularly when Billy shoved a piece of orange into his mouth, shutting him up. Freddy was ready to spit it onto his face, but before Billy could withdraw his fingers, the shorter boy tried to close his mouth over them. Which, of course, ended in juice spattering Freddy's chin and Billy's fingers. Both boys looked at each other unbelievably.

For a moment Billy's mind projected a 'vision' in which he wiped Freddy's chin with his fingers, and then shoving them in the boy's mouth until they were clean. Mapping Freddy's mouth with them, pressing against his tongue, guiding them slowly in and out.

He was seriously damaged in the head. There was no other explanation for all of this. Billy averted his gaze and grabbed one of Freddy's napkins as the other boy did the same.

"This is what you got for trying to make me shut up, dude,'' Freddy laughed while cleaning his chin.

"You're lucky it didn't get into my eyes,'' Billy tried to threaten the younger boy, but Freddy continued laughing even more.

"Ooh, so scary,'' Freddy bristled between his fits of laughter. "Do not beat me, oh mighty Shazam!''

"Jerk,'' Billy returned the sentiment.

* * *

"You two, dinner is ready!'' Rosa declared from behind the closed door to Freddy and Billy's room. She wasn't sure they even heard her from all the yelling and bickering happening on the other side. "Boys!'' She decided to try again.

"We're coming!'' There was a loud cracking noise coming from the room and Freddy's voice booming through the house. "I'm going to kill you, you ruined my record!''

"That's what happens when you can't surpass it yourself!'' Billy laughed mischievously and Rosa rolled her eyes and turned back towards the stairs.

Boys! They never grew old.

Seconds later their room's door flew open, Billy running as if his life depended on it. Rosa almost got flattened onto the stairs by the boy taking three or four steps at a time.

"You're lucky my crutch ain't no boomerang, or I'd have nailed you to the wall, Batson!" Freddy hissed angrily while closing the door properly after himself and walking heavily towards the stairs with his crutch by his side. Billy laughed loudly from downstairs.

"Then how would you have gone down the stairs, huh?'' The taller boy asked and continued laughing.

"That's why I said boomerang, you idiot!'' Freddy facepalmed himself.

Ah, how much Rosa loved her boys! She couldn't picture her life without her children and husband constantly around her.

"What are we eating tonight?'' Freddy asked Rosa.

"We ordered pizza,'' Rosa smirked as she saw the dark-haired boy opening his mouth for another question. "And yes, we ordered your Spicy Italian!''

"Oh, I love you!'' Rosa laughed and ruffled his hair.

"I know!''

* * *

"What's up with Pedro and Mary?'' Billy asked the moment he entered Darla's room after he took a quick shower and dressed himself for bed. After dinner the whole family decided to play Monopoly which ended tragically for everybody, as always. People should change the game's name to Family Feuds, way more suitable for sure. So when everybody retired for the night, they secretly decided to gather in Darla's room.

"Well, I kind of ate half of his pizza and you know how he is,'' Eugene trailed while Freddy snickered from Darla's bed. "In my defence, I was not paying attention,'' the younger boy raised his finger in declaration. "Neither did he, until it was too late, apparently.'' He shrugged as Freddy and Billy continued laughing.

"Why are we in my room?'' Darla wondered while watching the boys occupying everything.

"Because Mary is yelling something on her phone, and Pedro is sulking in his and Eugene's room,'' Billy told her.

"It seems like Eugene would be sleeping in your room tonight, banished from his own,'' Darla rolled her eyes at Freddy's suggestion.

"Definitely not happening,'' she crossed her arms and pursed her small pink lips. They were sometimes forgetting she was not her usual snuggly self from two years ago. Not that she didn't hug them at least once per day, but Darla was growing and they were not always blind to it.

"Guys, I have not gathered you here to do nothing,'' Eugene tried to use his authoritative voice, but ended up sounding like a nerd/hacker/mastermind on a roleplay forum.

"Dude, we're not even in the lair,'' Freddy tried really hard not to laugh.

"'Cuz you're one to talk,'' Eugene bristled at the older boy.

"No need to get all tensed up, shadow boy,'' Freddy patted his shoulder and Eugene slapped his hand away.

"As I was saying,'' Eugene started, "Pedro showed me today Mary's boyfriend on Facebook. Let me just show you first before you start asking dumb questions.''

Everyone got onto the bed behind Eugene to see the pictures.

Dark, perfectly slicked back hair, blue eyes, chiselled jaw, tanned skin, quite tall and one hell of an expensive costume. It was a close shot from what looked to be some kind of a press conference. Photographers and men in suit everywhere. The man was standing next to a marble column, reading something on a gigantic iPad or whatever. Behind him, in the shadows, an enormous mountain-like man stood with arms crossed, bald head, dark skin, looking as if murder was as easy as breathing for him. Billy and Freddy looked at each other.

They have seen that guy, even though it was also on just a picture. Superman had showed it to Billy last year, but didn't give him much information after he said he had not seen him anywhere in Fawcett City during his patrols. Although, after he got back asked Eugene to search for the man, but to no avail. He only found a picture of him, younger, clothed in a military uniform, definitely not American. Up to this date they still did not know who that man was.

"That guy looks scary,'' Darla commented but not about the bald man. They all knew that he was dangerous. There was something unnerving about the slightly shorter man's presence.

"His name is Hassan Bari,'' but before Eugene could continue, he was interrupted by Freddy.

"Like the _Bari_? As one of the largest American banks and in the world?'' He almost yelled as Darla shushed him.

"Afraid so, although he is only the heir for now, his father Masud Bari still rules everything,'' Eugene changes the picture. This one is of him and his father, their appearance similar, walking out of the tallest building of the city, the Bari & Co's headquarters. "But I've done some digging and found out Hassan would be appointed to a Chief Financial Officer in a few months, as of now he is still CEO of Card Services.''

"I don't even know what half of these titles even mean, but I suppose something like more power and money,'' Billy said, he really did not want to deal with another rich prick, he has had enough of these in his life, thank you.

"How old is he?'' Asked Darla, wondering of her sister's choices in life.

"Twenty seven or twenty eight, not sure,'' Eugene shrugged.

"Now I'm really concerned how Mary managed to get that internship in the bank in the first place,'' Freddy mused and Billy snorted, Darla looked at them both sternly.

"She studied really hard and does have the best qualities for it. Don't you remembered how pleasantly surprised we were that they closed her as an intern in their bank?''

"Yes, and that's exactly what's been bothering me,'' Eugene closed the laptop and turned towards the others. "We really were _surprised_.''

"I think we should talk with her, before making any more conclusions,'' Darla offered, but they could see she had her doubts.

"And what? Tell her that her boyfriend's bodyguard is a wanted criminal?'' Freddy raised his eyebrow at her.

But Darla was right they should really talk to Mary first, to know what was really happening there. She had the right to know if her boyfriend was one of the bad guys.

* * *

"Billy, what gave you the incredible idea to throw your wet towel onto my bed?" Freddy asked after he picked it up from his bed covers and saw the gigantic wet spot there.

"Oh shit, I forgot to move it away,'' Billy's head peaked down from his bed to look at the shorter boy innocently. Which got his face smacked with the said towel.

"Now, please tell me how am I supposed to sleep down here?" Freddy put his bony arm pressed against his waist, taking the angry-mother pose.

"Dunno, change your sheets or something,'' offered Billy, mischief hiding behind green eyes.

"I'm not changing shit in the middle of the night,'' Freddy glared at the boy, currently leisured on their bunk bed. "Or you get your ass down here and do it yourself.''

"Oh, hell no! I do not want Rosa's wrath upon me if I wake her up,'' Billy raised his hands in surrender. "Well, you can sleep on my bed or go into Darla's room, but I hardly think she would agree for you to sleep there.''

Billy wanted to slap himself, he truly did. Sometimes, most often the worst times, his brain really short circuited and his mouth went on saying all sort of bullshit. Good job there, Billy. Not only was he barely able to hide his frustration during sparring session, now he even invited his best friend to sleep with him. On his bed. On his _small_ bed. Ingenious thought.

"Dude, I'm not sleeping with you, you kick and turn around like crazy, sometimes I even wonder how you have still not managed to fall from your bed,'' Freddy squeezed his eyes menacingly at Billy.

"Says the boy who is drooling everywhere," the older boy retorted. "Well, you can think about it all you want, but I'm going to sleep.''

Billy turned his back towards Freddy and laid down, burying his face in the pillow.

There was a bit of shuffling happening somewhere in the room until Freddy groaned at the end.

"Fine, make some space,'' Freddy put his crutch next to his bed and started carefully climbing the small stair to Billy's. A hand suddenly grabbed his t-shirt, pulling the dark-haired boy harshly up as he ended sprawled upon it.

"I forgot my pillow,'' Freddy said, face pressed into Billy's mattress, too lazy to even move, while almost half of Billy's body was squished by the smaller boy's.

"Sleep on your arm then,'' Billy huffed, he was so not giving his own, even though a big part of him wanted it to smell of Freddy, but he knew that it would not lead up to any good in the future.

"Hmph,'' was the only answer answer he got before Freddy fell asleep.

The older boy sighed and threw the blanket on them. He moved a bit so his arm wouldn't die beneath Freddy's body weight. He was almost asleep when he felt Freddy turning his head in his sleep and pressing his face against Billy's neck, breathing in small puffs.

Billy could feel the cold goosebumps around his skin in contrast to Freddy's warmth. It was going to be a _long_ night.


	3. Sunlight

Freddy never woke up before the alarm, it usually took Billy at least ten minutes to make him open his eyes and around ten more to get him out of bed. Well, Freddy was not a morning person and he didn't give a shit about it, to be honest. So when he woke up sprawled on his stomach, drooling slightly onto his arm and feeling as warm and contented as ever, like he had slept for twelve hours straight. It was one of those kinds of uninterrupted sleep that when you wake up, you are not sure if you have slept for hours, days or weeks.

Freddy could have been in a coma for all he knew. But he was more then baffled why Billy had still not gotten up to wake him. Freddy opened one of his eyes and looked at the window, the sunlight was streaming inside bathing the whole room in a soft light. That's when he noticed how close to the ceiling he actually was.

Freddy immediately opened his other eye and memories from last night quickly rushed into his mind. He turned his head and came up face to face with Billy still sleeping peacefully as if he had no concerns in life at all. Freddy snorted. And they told him he had baby face.

Freddy tried to rub the sleep from his eyes while wondering what time it was and if he should try to wake Billy up. Maybe he could sleep for a few minutes more, if the alarm hasn't gone off, they couldn't be late for school.

Victor was right, he needed some discipline in life. He allowed himself way too much small things like that. If he wanted to be the superhero he dreamt of being, then he should start with getting up early.

He pushed the blanket away and started crawling backwards when the thought of forgetting to wake up Billy struck him. He was such a bad friend, the boy woke him up every morning and he couldn't do it even once. Shame on him. Freddy returned to his previous position on his stomach on the bed and turned his face toward Billy.

He raised his hand towards Billy's shoulder to wake him, when he notices that a loose strand of Billy's soft auburn hair had fallen over his right eye and Freddy felt a sudden need to brush it away. He changed the direction of his arm slowly and was close to moving it aside, when suddenly green eyes met directly his and a strong hold clasping around his wrist.

In matter of seconds Freddy was onto his back, both hands pressed against the mattress on either side of his head. Billy was looming over him, eyes still cloudy from sleep. One of Billy's knees was between Freddy's legs, parting them away. The older boy shortened the distance between them until he nuzzled the dark-haired boy's neck, inhaling the scent of clean skin, laundry detergent and another, deeper smell that his still sleepy brain related to Freddy.

The younger boy felt Billy's lips leaving damp trails across his neck making him shiver from the strange sensation. He tried pushing the other boy away, but Billy pressed him even harder against the mattress, his thigh brushing against Freddy's morning shame. Not expecting any of this happening, the dark-haired boy opened his mouth in silent moan, which was immediately followed by a wave of mortifying shame.

"Billy,'' he tried calling his friend, but to no avail. The older boy continued his ministration against his neck, thigh still pressed between Freddy's legs. Freddy felt even worse by the small dark though in his mind which was inviting him to move against it. His treacherous brain trying to simulate the pleasure he would feel.

As if knowing Freddy's thoughts, Billy moved his thigh slightly. The younger boy quickly bit into his lips to try and stifle the moan which followed, but he did unconsciously press the back of his head further into the mattress, revealing his throat perfectly to the looming boy.

Billy growled in appreciation of the submission and bit lightly, playing with the soft skin between his teeth.

Freddy could taste his own blood in his mouth due to the continuous bitting of his lips. It was too much for his mushy brain to contemplate in the morning. And Billy's constant ministration weren't helping him.

"Billy!'' Freddy whispered/shouted at the taller boy after a particular rough bite, knowing if the boy continued his resolve would crumble sooner rather than later.

Suddenly Billy stopped as if a bucket of ice cold water was dumped onto his head. He released Freddy's arms in an instant, clear green eyes panicking, his body trying to get as away from Freddy's as possible.

"Careful not to hit your head in the ceiling," Freddy tried to warn his friend but it was already too late.

"Shit!" Billy winced while rubbing his palm against the top of his head.

"You okay, dude?" Before Freddy could stop himself he extended an arm towards Billy to check if his head was fine.

Billy lowered his own hand and inclined his head towards the dark-haired boy to inspect the damage. Which got him on eye level with Freddy's littered with pink marks necks. He winced and Freddy stopped his inspection, thinking he was hurting him.

"You'll live,'' Freddy offered and Billy snorted.

Of course Billy would live, the question was how was he supposed to live with himself knowing what he did to his best friend while his mind was still hazy from the deep sleep. Gosh, he hadn't slept like that for years. The last time was probably when he was still five or something.

He felt even more sick by the fact that a deep and dark part of himself felt so smug and proud knowing he was the one who did that. He was the one who made Freddy's lithe body pulse in pleasure for him. Who made him moan.

Billy wanted to leave more permanent marks, which would be staying on the boy's skin for more than a few hours. To bite his smooth skin so hard, he could taste blood. To leave a vicious bite mark at the back of Freddy's neck, so everyday he could look at it from his desk behind Freddy's in some of their school classes.

Both boys jerked when the alarm went off.

Billy immediately went for his phone under the pillow and stopped it.

"Dude, why didn't you tell me your phone was there,'' Freddy pointed at the pillow, feeling pretty dumb by not thinking of it earlier.

"It's not like you asked,'' Billy shrugged.

"Fair enough,'' Freddy raised his hands in defeat, smiling.

* * *

"Come on, Billy, I've been waiting for fifteen minutes already,'' Darla's voice echoed in the bathroom from behind the door as Billy sighed yet again.

Couldn't he have some privacy in this house.

He was not to be held responsible for the fact that he had to do his happy session twice while taking a shower, goddamnit. Freddy was the one to blame for it. He couldn't do it in the morning, there was not time for it. Especially with the fight for the bathroom by all the occupants of the house.

And his body, deprived from its normal habits, needed to be able to feel at ease again. And when Freddy had pressed his hand on his thigh while trying to get closer to whisper about something related to Mary's boyfriend, which Pedro had told him at breakfast. Well, let's just say he was second away from running to the bathrooms to relieve the pressure of the jeans.

Damn his hormonal body. And damn Freddy as well. Damn everything.

Fuck, he was hard again.

"Billy!" Darla growled ready to go inside with the door itself. She then heard the other bathroom's door open and Eugene walking out of it with his phone in hands. "Finally!'' She raised her fist in the air in victory and practically teleported herself there.

Billy took a deep breath and went to work peacefully. Trying to wank with your little sister shouting any five seconds through the door is really bothersome and kind of impossible.

"Billy, I'm also waiting!'' Freddy yelled from somewhere in the hallway and Billy groaned.

Not his voice. Not now.

Billy pressed the palm of his hand across his mouth to stifle his moans, while working his hand faster. He was already close.

He couldn't stop replaying in his mind Freddy, writhing in his bed in the morning. The way he arched his body against Billy's. The taste of his skin, his mouthwatering scent.

"Victor said that if we are late to the movie because of you-"

"No nachos for you, young man!" Victor interrupted and laughed triumphantly, while trying to button down his shirt. While Freddy tried not to laugh at the pathetic attempt to do so.

People would say they were going to a Gala not to some shitty cinema. It wasn't a shitty cinema per se, but the price of tickets was outrageous. And Freddy did not even want to start with the price of popcorn and soda. Greedy bastards. It should be against the law.

While musing in his thoughts, Freddy did not hear the shower stopping. So when Billy opened the door and came face to face with Freddy, the smaller boy could feel his cheeks going pink. It was one of the few times that Billy was only clad in a towel, he usually had his clean clothes with him when going to shower.

Billy raised his eyebrow and smirked as the boy continued to just look at him and not say anything.

"Should I insert a 'no homo' joke here?" Pedro mused while crunching on some chips.

"Go fuck yourself, Pedro,'' Freddy pursed his lips in distaste and practically went through Billy to get inside he bathroom, face aflame while he closed the door behind himself loudly.

"Good one,'' Billy snickered and high-fived Pedro on his way to his and Freddy's room.

"It would be even better if you both stop the pining,'' Pedro said quietly before the other boy could enter the room.

"I don't know what you're talking about,'' Billy shrugged nonchalantly.

"Sure you don't,'' Pedro looked at him contemplating something in his brain, but then remained silent and went downstairs.

* * *

"Dude, look at that Audi,'' bony fingers pocked Billy's ribs which almost made him drop his new phone. Gift from Victor and Rosa for his seventeenth birthday under the pretext that it was time for him to connect to the rest of the world.

He was connecting just fine, thank you. Being Shazam was quite the communicative job. Technology was Eugene and Freddy's field of expertise. It's not like he couldn't operate with it, he just found no reason to do so. But the new smartphone in his hands has taken a big part of his attention these days.

Billy raised his head to look at whatever Freddy deemed worthy for breaking his ribs over.

A very expensive and very sleek looking black Audi had stopped before them in front of the cinema where the whole family were waiting for Mary and her boyfriend to arrive.

Hassan Bari had just gotten out of the car and walking to the passenger's door, to open it for Mary.

"If he thinks that being a gentleman would earn Victor's respect, he has a long way to go,'' Pedro said standing on Billy's other side.

The three of them turned towards Rosa, who was cooing at the fine man opening the door for her beautiful Mary, and sighed.

"He looks like a Prince,'' Darla awed as Bari took Mary's arm under his and walked towards them as if they were walking on the red carpet.

Billy suddenly had the urge to turn around and check if there were paparazzi around the them. The dark-haired man was wearing a finely cut dark blue suit, while Mary was wearing a red pencil skirt, white shirt and white heels. They looked really good together. Like a match made in heaven as Darla liked to say whenever she saw a beautiful couple walking down the street.

Too bad Hassan Bari was the bad guy, not the good Prince in shining armour.

He introduced himself first to Victor, then to Rosa, complementing her, of course. Kissing Darla's hand and shaking Eugene's. He was charismatic, Billy could give him that. But it was expected of the son of Masud Bari. The heir.

When he turned towards them, Billy wanted to gag. There was something in the man, like aura or some shit, which was really emitting some bad vibes. His inner Shazam-radar was going batshit crazy.

Freddy raised an eyebrow at Billy when Bari shook the taller boy's hand a bit more sternly. He was having the bad feeling that Hassan Bari was not just an ordinary rich dude with daddy's connections. And he was definitely not here only for just pleasing his _girlfriend_.

Victor had already gotten the tickets, so they just had to buy the junk food everybody wanted. That's when Bari decided to play the sponsor for the petty cause that was their family and pay for the food and drinks.

Gosh, they really hated the guy.

Billy, Freddy and Pedro continued observing him like hawks until they got to their seats and Pedro went on the other side of the roll, his seat being next to Eugene and Darla's. Both couples, Victor and Rosa, and Bari and Mary were seated in the middle, while Billy and Freddy were on the seats next to Victor.

"If the seats in the middle one roll behind them are still free, we're definitely moving,'' Freddy told Billy, seeing how far away they were from the subject of their investigation.

Billy nodded and shoved some nachos into his mouth.

"Dude, wait for the movie!'' Freddy scolded, his popcorns placed on the empty seat next to him.

"Fuck off, it's most delicious _while_ waiting for the movie, dude,'' Billy looked at the shorter boy as if he had been raised in a jungle.

"And what would you be eating when the movie starts, huh? The tickets?'' Freddy rolled his eyes.

Billy pushed his face in Freddy's personal space, noses almost touching. He smirked, eyes twinkling mischievously as he licked his lips slowly.

"Your popcorns,'' he stole some of Freddy's popcorns and shoved them in his own mouth, almost choking while laughing at the other boy's expression.

Mouth agape, eyes wide open, Freddy couldn't believe the nerve the other boy had. How dare he try to steal his precious popcorns!

"You wish,'' he hissed as the older boy continued laughing as the movie started.

* * *

When nobody else came to sit one roll up, Billy and Freddy indeed moved in the two seats there right behind Mary and Bari's.

But no matter how much they watched over the couple, they did not see a thing out of the ordinary, and soon they were halfway through the movie with the task at hand already forgotten. The movie had turned out to be actually pretty funny, Freddy had even been laughing for a few minutes at one of the recent funnier scenes.

"Dude, that Pepsi almost got out through my nose,'' Freddy told him, barely able to breath.

"With this pace it would be getting out of your eyes soon,'' Billy cackled next to him.

"Well, you could try and enjoy the movie, there's no need to be eye-lasering them all night,'' Freddy whispered close to his ear. And Billy's mind was ready to think of some ways to _enjoy_ the movie more throughoutly. "I don't think he would do anything while watching the movie. Except you know,'' Freddy wriggled his eyebrow and lightly brushed his fingers across Billy's thigh. Who in turn choked on his saliva, unable to believe what had just happened.

"The fuck you did, dude?'' He managed to quietly groan after Billy tried to slap his back several times.

"I didn't want to say it, knowing I was talking about Mary,'' Freddy whispered, shrugging at the idea. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you or anything.''

Oh, Billy was very far away from being anything close to scared. If the small budge in his pants was any indication for it. Gosh, just a small touch and he was halfway through having to cover his crotch with his jacket. Being simultaneously horny and frustrated was never a good combination.

"Just watch the damn movie, dude," Billy knew the moment he said it how scolding it sounded. Something passed behind Freddy's large doe-like eyes, but the lack of any light except form the movie itself made it impossible for Billy to see it. But he perfectly knew he had hurt the shorter boy. Billy suddenly felt more than awful. "No, I didn't-"

"Whatever, dude, leave it,'' Freddy leaned further into his seat, not even glancing at Billy.

"I'm not leaving anything, Freddy, I didn't mean it like that," Billy whispered as the boy continued looking stubbornly at the movie. "Look, I'm sorry.''

"Nothing to be sorry for,'' Freddy shrugged.

"Look at me,'' Billy said, face millimetres from Freddy's.

"Billy,'' the shorter boy started with a sigh.

"Freddy,'' the older boy said sternly, interrupting whatever it was that Freddy was about to say.

Freddy stayed quiet for a few seconds but finally turned his head, nose brushing against Billy's and anything in the taller boy's mind went out of it in a flash. Images passed through his eyes, clashing his mouth against Freddy's, biting those pink lips, tongues brushing, tasting. Freddy's moans.

His fingers trembled in the thought of being pressed against the almost faded marks on the dark-haired boy's neck from the morning.

"Such a good boy,'' the whisper barely went past Billy's lips but the reaction was immediate.

Freddy breath hitched, his lower lip trembled, eyes enlarging.

The back of Billy's fingers caressed the smooth skin of the younger boy's cheek. Freddy unconsciously leaned against the light touch.

"So pretty,'' their lips almost brushed, dark eyes turning glossy and shiny in the dim light.

"Billy,'' the shorter boy whimpered and it was the last straw for Billy's restraint.

He gripped hard the back of Freddy's head who in turn opened slightly his mouth in silent moan which Billy used to smash their lips together and taste the boy.

It was messy, the angle was odd, their teeth clashed, but at the same time it felt so right, like a piece of puzzle perfectly blending with another. Billy wanted more. Needed more.

He bit the dark-haired boy's lower lip gently, playing with it between his teeth. He could practically feel Freddy's eyes rolling back in silent pleasure. The boy was so responsive, it was like an aphrodisiac for Billy.

They separated briefly to take a breath, a tiny trail of mixed saliva still connecting them. This time it was Freddy who lunged at him, fingers entangling themselves in Billy's soft hair. They continued kissing sloppily for a few minutes before, contented with just tasting each other.

Until the credits started and Freddy almost fell onto the floor as the lights went on, but he did manage to push the empty popcorn box out of the empty seat next to him. When he bended to pick it up, Billy could see his neck was as red as his ears and couldn't stop himself from flicking one of them.

Freddy flipped him off, but his ravished looks made Billy smirk and the shorter boy averted his eyes, getting up.

"Did you like the movie boys?" Rosa turned towards them.

"Yeah, it was good," Freddy said and Billy snickered, which earned him an elbow in his stomach. "Right, Billy?'' He asked sweetly as the taller boy glared at him menacingly.

Rosa sensing the start of another brawl between the two, she turned herself towards Mary and her boyfriend to ask if they enjoyed it.

"You tell me,'' Billy came closer to the dark-haired boy, inclining his head. "_Pretty_,'' he whispered and went past Freddy, following everybody else out.

"Jerk,'' Freddy growled. He would exact his revenge sooner or later.


	4. Afraid

"I put a tracking device on him," Eugene muttered while typing something on his laptop.

"You did what, dude?" Freddy started laughing as Darla cupped his mouth to muffle the noise.

"Quiet, Rosa and Victor could still be awake," she reprimanded him. "And why are we in my room again?''

All of the boys shrugged and turned their attention to Eugene, who in turn explained how he put it and how did he manage to even build one. Good thing he had been seated next to Mary and managed to somehow sneak his hand behind her back. No matter how awkward it was.

After they got home Mary went straight to her room, bidding them a quick goodbye. Which was strange, usually when she was at home, she always gathered with them.

"What if he is brainwashing her?'' Freddy offered in conspiracy.

"Or what if she saw what you did and took it off and that's why she is mad?'' Pedro offered, but Eugene just sighed and turned the laptop towards them.

There was a full map of Philadelphia with one small red dot on top of it.

"It's still on him or still on his shirt's collar to be precise,'' Eugene told them smugly.

"Wait a moment, he could just change his clothes and go wherever he wants, and we won't see it." Darla tapped her fingers against her chin.

"Well, I did not think of that,'' Eugene rubbed the back of his neck.

"At least we know where he lives,'' Billy offered and Freddy nodded.

"We could go and check his place for secret villain stuff,'' Freddy wiggled his eyebrow, but Darla was having none of that.

"We can't just go and break into someone's house just because we saw them standing next to a criminal," Darla pointed out ruining their spy-wannabe plan.

"Are you taking his side now?'' Freddy grimaced in disgust.

"There is no side to take, Freddy, we are just making sure he doesn't do something funny to Mary,'' Darla crossed her arms but couldn't stop the all consuming yawn that escaped her mouth.

Billy wanted to say it was more than that, but decided to keep quiet. Darla was still too young to be even dealing with this and it was way too late at night already. He looked at Freddy and shook his head for the shorter boy to understand not to press the matter further.

"Billy we should be going,'' Pedro said, sprawled behind Eugene on Darla's bed.

"Yeah, we shouldn't let people in distress wait,'' Billy nodded and jumped from the bed quickly. "Okay, guys, we'll be patrolling tonight. Eugene,'' Billy looked at the younger boy. "If you hear something from the police or anywhere else, contact us.''

"Roger that, Shazam," Eugene raised his hand in salute mockingly and Billy flipped him off.

"Okay, Eugene, let's go,'' Freddy picked his crutch and got up from the bed as Eugene followed suit. In the meantime Billy and Pedro transformed into their Shazam forms and put the small earpieces for communication which Eugene had offered them.

Pedro took Darla from her curled position in her soft chair to her bed, right between her warm sheets and multiple pink blankets. He kissed the top of her head lightly and turned towards the others.

"Ew, dude, that's really fucked up, you're like twice her age,'' Freddy raised his crutch accusingly at Pedro's enormous and masculine body.

"Yeah, you could pass for a daddy,'' Eugene shrugged, hands holding his laptop pressed against his chest.

The other three boys looked at him.

"Dude, that's even more fucked up,'' Freddy shook his head as if to shoo away the awful imagery that popped up in his mind.

If anyone noticed how red Pedro's face had become, they didn't commented on it.

Eugene walked out of the room while Pedro turned around to open the window and disappeared swiftly into the night.

"Don't do anything stupid, okay?'' Freddy said, not even looking at Billy as he walked slowly towards the door, trying to be as quiet as possible with the crutch.

The dark-haired boy was so focused on his task he did not see Billy's massive body moving close to him until a large hand wrapped around his tiny wrist, scaring the shit out of him. He may have made some embarrassingly whimpering noise, but he was nowhere near admitting it.

Billy tugged at his hand and ended with nose almost brushing against the older boy/man's chest lightning. He could feel the energy tickling the skin of his face. The younger boy craned his neck to look up at Billy's face, to ask him what he wanted, but ended up gaping like a fish out of water.

That body sure was _enormous_. It was like a mountain over Freddy's small form. He had forgotten how small he felt next to him due to the fact that they usually were both in their respective Shazam forms when patrolling, training, fighting crime and other similar scenarios.

He felt something warm coiling at the pit of his stomach. It was strange and unfamiliar but at the same time it made him feel... Freddy didn't even know how to describe it.

"Billy?'' The dark-haired boy inclined his head looking at the other quizzically. Billy released the grip on the small wrist and his fingers immediately wrapped around the soft curls on the back of Freddy's head.

Freddy couldn't help but notice how large that hand was, it was probably as big as his head. And shit, that was probably as disturbing as arousing. And it was wrong on so many different levels. Fuck.

The hand tugged harder on his locks making Freddy expose his throat. He hissed and tried to oppose to it, but it gripped harder and he couldn't help but _bare_ himself.

Billy's usually expressive face in this form was now serious, eyes dark, nostrils flared as if ready for attack.

A cold shiver trailed down his back, he gripped harder at his crutch. Ready to use it if necessary, not that it could stop the lethal strength in front of him.

Billy lowered his head until his nose was brushing against the exposed column of his neck. God, was he sniffing him. Something must have escaped his notice, because Freddy definitely did not know what was happening there.

"In this body I can _smell_ you," Billy said, lips tickling his sensitive skin.

"What d-do you mean?'' Freddy's voice broke, his face flared as he felt the deep rumble of Billy's quiet laugh.

"Your shampoo,'' his hand had eased its grip and now his fingers just slowly ran through the smaller boy's dark hair. "Your skin," his hand moved down his neck, across his shoulder and ended its way over Freddy's chest. "Your arousal," if started moving again down his body, knuckles grazing atop the zipper of his jeans. "_Everything_," the hand continued its way until it gripped Freddy's thigh hard, separating his legs lightly.

Freddy wanted so bad to rock his hips. He wasn't sure if his brain knew what was even happening at that point.

"Billy,'' he tried warning the boy about something, but everything turned into dust in his mind as Billy nibbled his ear. He felt enveloped by everything - the massive muscles, the smell of ozone, the electricity, the warm lips, the strong hands. Fucking everything that was used against him at that moment.

Freddy closed his eyes in pleasure but suddenly everything was gone. Even the pressure of Billy's body against his own.

When he opened his eyes everything was back to normal. Darla was still sleeping on the bed, the night outside was quiet, the window's curtains barely moving from the wind.

Freddy sighed and slowly moved to close it, not wanting Darla to catch a cold because of them.

"Wait, if he could smell everything now, does that mean...?" Freddy mumbled to himself, wondering for how long Billy had been using that superhuman nose of his, and what he had been able to smell during the years. "Idiot."

* * *

"Billy, do you see this?'' Pedro asked through their earpieces.

"Yeah, but I'm not sure what am I seeing,'' for what he could tell there were numerous wooden packages being moved to a warehouse. It wouldn't look suspicious at all if it wasn't for the heavily armoured guys doing the job. "Eugene, can you check to whom does this warehouse belong?

"Working on it,'' Eugene murmured through their com, fingers typing furiously on his laptop.

"Guys, can you see some kinds of stamps or just lettering on the parcels?" Freddy asked.

Billy trying to look closely but he was too far away.

"Yeah, Mohawk Inc.,'' Pedro inclined his head in surprise. "Isn't it a technology company? You know, softwares and stuff?''

"It's s subsidiary company of Bari & Co.,'' Eugene stopped typing for a bit.

"I have a really bad feeling about this, guys,'' Freddy said while reading the latest news regarding Mohawk Inc. The company was developing new prototypes of 'intelligent' weaponry for the US Army working only on energy, no bullets or shit, you just charge them as a smartphone.

Holy shit, it was a deal for billions of dollars!

"Pedro, are you thinking what I am thinking?'' Billy smirked from his hiding spot.

"I hope so,'' Pedro sounded as excited as a child being told to eat his veggies. He was no fun.

"Don't you dare barge into that warehouse!'' Eugene hissed. "You could fuck it up.''

"Then how are we supposed to see what's inside these packages?'' Billy muttered rolling his eyes and crossing his arms. He could zap these armoured pricks in no time, check what's in and the problem would be solved.

Eugene knowing what was rolling around Billy's mind tried to come with a quick plan, which would sound quite a lot more rational, especially if they did not want the Bari to know their packages had been looked into.

The plan was simple, they wait for the whole 'delivery' to be put into the warehouse, then Pedro and Billy would sneak inside right before the armoured man close the doors and check what was really happening there.

Eugene would use the time while they were searching to try and override the codes to one of the back door, so the escape would be undetected. While Billy was going to be dealing with the footages from the CCTVs.

They just had to wait for the right moment.

Which presented itself around forty minutes later when the final truck was unloaded. Everything went according to plan until they set a foot inside and the whole place lit up. At least the doors to the warehouse were already closed. Freddy hoped that Billy and Pedro were quiet enough not to rise any suspicion.

"Who the fuck puts photocell light sensors all over their warehouse?'' Eugene groaned and started switching them off one by one. Good thing Freddy had already taken care of the footages.

Pedro looked around the enormous warehouse, thousands of packages were littered all over the place. But the ones from that night were stored separately form the others.

"Come on, Pedro, let's see what they're hiding,'' Billy walked pass him and Pedro followed suit. Their chests' lightnings served for the only source of light in the building. It was quite handy not to rely upon flashlights.

"What is this?'' Pedro looked closely upon the small device atop the first wooden package.

"I think we will have to get rid of it,'' Billy said and raised his finger, small lightnings running through it.

Pedro immediately tried to persuade him it was not a good idea, but Billy was having none of it, the famous mischievous smile grazing his lips.

"Guys, what's happening?'' Freddy's voice sounded suspicious on the com.

Before Pedro could even open his mouth to explain, Billy pressed his fingers on top the small device and a strong current ran through it. They held their breaths, waiting to see what was about to happen next.

The device made some mechanical hissing noise and the three orange indicators on top of it turned green.

"Ha, see, no problem here,'' Billy slapped Pedro's shoulder then gripped the device look at it closely. "Should we bring it to Eugene to have a look at it?''

"What kind of stupid question is that?'' Eugene said flatly through the com while Freddy snorted next to him.

Before Billy could even say something in return, Pedro took the wooden top of the packaging with enough force that he didn't even feel the yielding of the nails. He put it slowly into the floor, trying to make as noiselessly as possible.

Billy buried his hands in the loose fill peanuts and grabbed the first thing that they touched. It was something wooden. Billy pulled out the item as Pedro gasped. It was an Egyptian wooden statue of a cat.

The darker skinned man took a hold of it as Billy went to pull out something else. This time it was a stone vase.

Both boys looked at each other not able to comprehend what was happening. They put the two items back and Billy opened another device of a different parcel. The same things followed, just more and more Egyptian objects. On the sixth package they decided it was pointless continuing the search. There was nothing secretive and dangerous here.

"They're just full of Egyptian artefacts," Pedro said dejectedly more to himself than to the others as he and Billy were closing all of the opened deliveries.

Although they were still not sure how to activate the devices which were previously on top of them.

"Hey, man, look there,'' Billy raised his head to look at whatever Pedro was pointing at. It was another parcel but this time on top of it was device at least two times bigger than the previous ones.

They both went to check it, but this time when Billy touched it, the lights turned red and multiple sirens went off.

"Shit!" Billy hissed as multiple armed men surrounded them.

"Guys, get out of there fast!" Freddy was yelling through the com, but the boy's continued standing there frozen. "Now!''

"Well, hello there, nice gentlemen,'' Billy waved at the mercenaries while Pedro sighed, preparing for shit to go down. "We were just making sure nothing illegal was happening, but your armoured butts here are proving me wrong by the minute, you know!''

"Billy!'' Pedro tried to warn his friend, but he wasn't having it.

"So we will be leaving you now only with a warning, but,'' rain of bullets interrupted Billy before he could finish his sentence in peace. When the man stopped shooting, he cleared his throat and tried again while the men were reloading. "As I was saying,'' bullets started pouring on them yet again, the dark haired male sighed and waited for them to stop. "We will return,'' reload then again, they were really getting on his nerves. "Seriously, you're going to ruin the merchandise here.''

The men stopped shooting as a mountain-like man walked pass them until he stood in the middle between the superheroes and the mercenaries. Dark skin, bald hair, military styled clothing and one hell of a big gun on his bag.

Hassan Bari's bodyguard or whoever he was.

For a minute there Billy thought that this was the man, whom even Superman was unable to find and fight. Both he and Pedro were mega screwed.

They truly needed to get out of this warehouse. Freddy and Eugene were quiet on the other end of the link, which was even more unnerving. But then Billy decided that who was he even kidding, they were superheroes, bulletproof, flying, strong, fast and courageous superheroes.

He felt the lightning power buzzing around him, the current making the air thick.

The man didn't say a thing, he just grabbed the weapon from his back and pointed it at them.

"Hey, hey, no need now to be so hostile,'' Pedro raised his hand in peace but that didn't spare him from the blast which followed.

* * *

"Man, I'm not sure if I can get up,'' Pedro groaned from the hole which he had ended up creating as his body hit the ground. He massaged his scalp trying to prevent the headache, Pedro didn't even know it was possible to experience a headache in this form.

"Come on,'' Billy said a bit sluggishly, he didn't look too well either. Pedro gripped his outstretched hand and the dark-haired boy pulled him out. "This weapon was definitely magical or some shit.''

Pedro nodded, not feeling in condition to offer a meaningful reply.

They didn't say anything more while flying to their home, just bid each other a quick good night before both of them climbed through the windows right into their rooms respectively.

The moment Billy set foot onto the floor and closed the window behind himself, Freddy immediately stood right next to him, looking as angry as worried.

"What happened?'' Freddy asked, eyes big with unease. "You alright, dude?''

"Yeah,'' Billy sighed, but still did not feel ready to return to his own body. He felt weak and overpowered. The last time he felt that way was two years ago because of certain Dr. Sivana.

Freddy felt a pang in his chest at Billy's sullen expression, he was so used to seeing Billy confident and happy in this body. He did not know what to do, if it was Mary or Darla he could just hug them. But Billy? He tried to pat his shoulder, but that body was so tall, the whole situation was just awkward.

"We won't leave this like that! Eugene promised he will do anything in his power to find out what they were hiding,'' Freddy said and turned around to slowly walk towards their bed, but he was suddenly enveloped into a tight bear-like hug, his crutch fell on the floor.

Freddy's whole body froze, feet tangling few centimetres from the ground. The body pressed against his back was as unmovable as a wall, Freddy could feel the light buzz against his hoodie from the lightning on Billy's chest.

"Billy, put me down,'' Freddy said through gritted teeth, trying to worm his way out of the iron hug.

Said taller boy just nuzzled his neck and squeezed harder. Freddy felt so tiny in his grasp.

"I'm serious here, dude, I'm so declaring prank wars if you don't release me _now_,'' Freddy tried to peel the hands away from his body, knowing fully well, that if he succeeded he would fall onto the ground, his feet unable to hold his body straight through the impact. The smaller boy couldn't help but notice how small his hands were especially compared to those strong hands.

Silly thoughts like this made him want to bang his head against the wall.

"I want to sleep next to you tonight,'' Billy said evenly as if Freddy had not been struggling for the past five minutes in his hold.

"In your dreams, dude, I don't want you waking me up early on a Saturday morning,'' Freddy groaned. This, whatever it was between them, was going way out of normal friendly situations. Not that kissing each other was a friendly gesture, but that was in a moment of weakness, which he was not going to experience again. Friends did not do those sorts of things.

One of Billy's enormous paws slipped beneath his hoodie.

"Hey, don't do that, you're cheating,'' Freddy knew his whole face was aflame, but he was not giving up so easily.

"I think your body is betraying you,'' it was strange hearing Shazam/Billy's deep voice in a situation like this. Freddy felt his hand trailing down towards his pajama pants.

"Oh, no, no,'' Freddy tried even harder to wriggle his way out of this. "Okay, we can... you can sleep next to me, just lemme down.''

Billy released him slowly and let him go only when he made sure Freddy could stand straight without help. He picked his crutch and offered it as the shorter boy took it with a huff.

"Transform back, you're so not breaking our bed,'' Freddy said as he sat down on his own.

"Come on, dude,'' Billy whined. "I don't think I have the juice to transform.''

Freddy raised his eyebrow and crossed his arms.

Billy sighed, knowing he couldn't win this time around.


	5. Realisation

"Freddy, do you think Mary is in danger?''

"Go to bed, Billy,'' the dark-haired boy barely managed to mumble, mind all hazy.

"I am in bed, dumbass,'' retorted Billy pinched Freddy's nose, who slapped his hand immediately.

"Soon you'll be on the floor if you don't shut your mouth,'' Freddy huffed and turned his back to the other boy. Five am was not the time to discuss Mary's questionable life choices.

But apparently Billy had other opinion in the matter.

"Victor and Rosa will be so disappointed when they find out about her boyfriend,'' Billy shared his thoughts, while continuing laying on his back staring the underside of his own bed.

"Then picture their disappointment when they find your corpse sprawled on the front lawn in the morning,'' Freddy said, yawning around three times during the whole sentence. He wondered how Billy still managed to even produce coherent sentences at that time of the night after the whole thing. Must be the adrenaline.

"As if you can win in a fight against me,'' Billy snorted, knowing what the outcome would be to his attempt to rile the other boy up.

"I'm gonna kick your ass, dude,'' Freddy drawled, almost asleep, but snuck a hand behind himself to poke at Billy's ribs.

Unfortunately, his sleepy self was too slow and his hand was caught in a tight grip by Billy's. Before the dark-haired boy could even try pulling it back, it was yanked forcefully on the opposite direction which led his body to end up almost on top of the taller boy's, back pressed against surprisingly solid chest.

"Billy,'' Freddy tried to whine but it ended as a breathless moan, when teeth grazed the sensitive skin on his neck. The shorter boy shuddered, loving the warmth of Billy's body against his.

"I'll hold you to it tomorrow," the older boy promised, breath tickling the shell of Freddy's ear.

"Whatever, dude, just lemme sleep," the younger boy yawned and closed his eyes in content, breathing in Billy's familiar scent. He could hear the chuckle against his hair but it sounded as if it was miles away.

Freddy sighed feeling his mind and body relax from all the tension. He knew it was not right to use his friend's body as a duvet, but who cared, sleep was way more important than being modest.

* * *

This time it was not Freddy, but Billy who woke first.

At some point during the night Freddy had turned around, snuggled his right foot between Billy's, and buried his face between his own pillow and the taller boy's neck. His hand was sprawled over Billy's chest, going up and down with every breath he took.

Gosh, how much he wanted to wake up like this every morning!

Billy was contented laying like that until the other boy awoke too, but a slight movement from the smaller boy made him realise that he was not the only one experiencing something more than just a normal morning wood.

That was such an inviting opportunity to explore, that it would be a shame not to take advantage of it. He knew it was wrong in so many levels, but his teenage hormones where having none of it.

He waited for the hitched breath against his neck to move his hand form the boy's waist to his ass and push, pressing Freddy's lower body even more against his. Ah, yes, he could feel the boy's arousal pressed against his hip. Just how he wanted it.

Freddy hummed sweetly, breath tickling the older boy's neck.

Billy withdrew his hand and then pushed again, eliciting a small moan from the sweet pink lips, grazing slightly his sensitive skin. It took a few more times until a rhythm was set and there was no need for the older boy's guiding touches.

Freddy's hips were moving on his own, his right hand gripping tightly Billy's t-shirt while his left one was squeezing the sheets rather hard. His moans were becoming even more breathless and loud.

The older boy looked at their bodies mingled together. Looking at each other every single day made them kind of blind for the growth of their bodies. Billy had always been slightly taller than Freddy, but recently it was more noticeable, they had both grown, but Billy quite a bit more, Rosa even took him shopping the other day, his clothes had became way too short. His body had become leaner, muscles tighter, face features becoming sharper, Darla had even said the green of his eyes was more pronounced and clearer.

Freddy's body even though growing in size, appeared even skinnier than before. Victor and Rosa were almost always after him, telling him to eat more and keep an eye on his health. His limbs had become bonier, skin paler, Billy couldn't help but compare him to the porcelain dolls Darla cherished so much. While Billy's voice had acquired deeper notes, Freddy's was raspier, especially in the mornings when it often broke when he tried to speak in longer sentences.

"Haa, Billy!'' Freddy's voice pulled him out of his thoughts, returning him to the unbelievable present. The smaller boy's body moving slowly against him, his arousal sensually gliding up and down his hip, small puffs of breath tickling the skin of his neck.

Billy smirked, he felt such a strong sense of masculine satisfaction. He was the one that made that small body writhe against his, he was the one that made such sweet noises spill from those taunt pink lips, he was the only one who could enjoy the familiar warmth.

A strong possessiveness was growing inside him. Freddy was _his_. Only he had the right to see him like that, to feel him, to smell him, to hear his moans.

A deep growl vibrated from his chest to his throat and he swiftly gripped Freddy's soft curls, pulling harshly, lifting the boy's head away from his shoulder. He needed to look at him.

Freddy opened his mouth, a needy whine escaping those glistening lips, which he was always licking and biting. His eyes were barely open, pupils dilated so much they appeared black not their usual chocolate colour. His cheeks were flushed, long lashed fluttering like butterflies over them.

Due to the movement, Freddy's whole body shuddered, his hip pressed firmly against Billy's arousal. The older boy groaned and couldn't stop his hips from following Freddy's slow rhythm.

They both moaned loudly when a particularly hard grind brought them almost over the edge.

Billy grabbed Freddy's hip, pretty sure there would be marks from his fingers later, and pulled his legs further apart until he fit perfectly between them and Freddy was almost straddling him, pulsing arousals pressed against each other through their boxers.

He continued watching the smaller boy's wrecked expression, a tiny trail of saliva escaping from the corner of his mouth, he couldn't stop himself even if he wanted as he pressed those lips against his, tongue immediately delving into Freddy's mouth, exploring every small corner.

Billy could feel the wet spots forming over their underwear and gripped the dark-haired boy's curls harder, viciously biting pink lips. The feeling of Freddy's dripping member slowly rubbing against his own in a delicious friction drove Billy crazy.

Strong fingers bit into Freddy's ass cheek guiding him back and forth, the obscene squelching noises from the wet grinding loud in the room. Billy wanted nothing more than to rip the offensive underwear separating them, but he knew it would be too much.

He continued bruisingly navigating Freddy, increasing their rhythm, breaths mingling together. The friction between their bodies was becoming too much, Billy opened his eyes and saw the corners of Freddy's closed ones glistening.

He broke the kiss and immediately latched his lips to Freddy's throat and bit hard.

"_Billy_,'' gasped Freddy as his body stilled and he came, cum spilling from the band of his boxers over their stomachs and t-shirts. Billy couldn't help himself but follow suit, sucking at the pale throat to muffle his own moans.

Fuck, it felt amazing.

He waited a few minutes, contented in listening to Freddy's light breathing, as the young boy continued sleeping on him. Then he gripped the small waist and laid the soft body next to him on the bed. He caressed Freddy's face until his thumb pressed against the now-quiet lips, opening them slightly.

"You're _mine_, Freddy, and I intend to keep it that way from now on,'' he murmured softly and pressed two fingers against the bite mark he had left onto the pale skin.

Freddy's breath hitched and Billy's eyes darkened with lust yet again, but he shook his head and pulled away his hand.

The older boy quickly rolled out of the bed, grabbed his towel and clean underwear and went to the bathroom. A part of him knew just how wrong was what he had done, but another part of him felt so much at peace, knowing that Freddy was also experiencing the same internal struggles and both of them were just to dumb and perhaps inexperienced to acknowledge them.

But no more, Billy was no more going to hold back, scared his urges and feelings were one-sided and impure.

* * *

It took Freddy almost half a day of knowing glances from Pedro and Eugene, inability to sit without hissing, the always smirking expression of Billy and two mind-blowing jerking-off sessions to realise that it was not a wet dream what he had experienced in the early morning.

Around the evening he already had enough of everyone and everything and went into the bathroom to see for himself what was giving him such discomfort. Imagine his surprise when his eyes focused on the small bluish bruises littering his right hip and ass cheek. No wonder he had not seen them the morning when he took a shower. Well, he was preoccupied with something else then, but still.

He was going to murder that smug bastard with his own bare hands. Billy had been waiting the whole day to see when Freddy would realise like the sneaky fox he was.

But this game could be played by two, so Freddy's final decision was to remain oblivious to the outside world, while mustering an evil plan for revenge. Fuck superheroes, he was about to become the greatest villain out there.

But there was one thing his mind still couldn't grasp and that was how few days ago his love life was practically nonexistent and now he was having some out-of-control horny sessions with his best friend.

Holy shit, was that a _hickey_? Or a bite mark? It looked enormous and alarmingly red. When the fuck had that happened? He touched it and winced, but a small flare of arousal tingled all his senses like an electric current. Freddy looked disgusted at it.

Life was a fucked up thing and Freddy really didn't want to think of it right now.

He pulled his pants up, grabbed his crouch and exited the bathroom.

"Freddy!'' Darla practically jumped into his hands. "Pedro said I could go with them now to spy on Mary's boyfriend."

It took him a few seconds for his brain to register her words. He sighed, grabbed Darla's wrist and started walking as fast as he could with the crutch towards Eugene and Pedro's room.

"Are you out of your minds?'' Freddy whispered angrily once he entered the room, trying to be as quiet as possible. One just simply does not bring an always-gasping-and-talking-barely-teenage girl on a surveillance mission.

"Hey, I want to go with them, Freddy!'' Darla stomped her foot next to him. Ah, yes, she was in that phase either. "And they let me.''

"It is pointless for three of you to be spying on one man, ridiculous even,'' the dark-haired boy tried to reason with her.

"That's not fair, you always do everything without me, especially now since Mary isn't spending much time with us,'' she crossed her arms and raised her chin in the air.

"But a good sister listens to her brothers, when they want to protect her,'' Freddy opened his arms for her to hug him.

"This does not work on me anymore, Freddy, grow up,'' Darla rolled her eyes but quickly embraced the taller boy as he chuckled. "And I'm still going with them.''

Freddy sighed and looked at the other three boys. Eugene shrugged and raised his arms.

"I have nothing to do with this,'' he then pointed his attention to his laptop.

"Look, Freddy,'' Pedro started. "We are just going to follow him for a few hours, nothing serious."

"Nothing serious, yesterday your asses were handed to you by a single weapon, and now you're telling me everything is fine,'' Freddy started talking fast in indication of his growing unease with the whole situation.

"Freddy, during the day nothing will happen, and we've been training for months now, we're not some kids anymore,'' Billy said pleadingly.

"Darla is a kid,'' Freddy raised his eyebrow in challenge. Billy sighed and walked closer to him.

"We'll look after her, I promise,'' the taller boy lightly squeezed his shoulder and Freddy unknowingly leaned towards the warmth of his hand.

Freddy suddenly remembered himself and tried to step away, praying Billy hadn't noticed his moment of weakness. The grip on his shoulder turned iron and Freddy looked at Billy. Green eyes were watching him knowingly as Billy's hand slipped towards his neck then underneath his hoodie.

His fingers pressed against the hickey and Freddy's face turned all red.

"Okay, just don't take too long, Rosa and Victor will notice if the three of you come late for dinner, and,'' Freddy blurted frustratingly as Billy pressed harder, "I'll be studying the text books Mary found recently, in the lair, Eugene better be watching your every move, and-''

Billy's fingers started circling the love mark shutting up Freddy's bantering in no time.

Freddy knew he was hidden from view by Billy's body and that nobody could see that the taller boy's hand was no longer just holding his shoulder, but still a small part of him was cringing by the fact he was getting all hot and bothered in the presence of his friends.

And Darla's nonetheless. He could hear them talking in the background, but his senses were so focused on Billy that he was unable to understand a word they were saying.

Billy inclined his head slightly towards the shorter boy, fingers halting their ministration as they wrapped around Freddy's neck and squeezed lightly. Freddy felt his cock twitch in his pants.

"Good boy,'' Billy whispered watching intently how Freddy's breath hitched, his brown eyes enlarging innocently, feeling the slender throat convulsing why he tried to gulp down his frustration with the lack of power in their current situation.

The bottomless hunger in Billy grew more and more and he knew that if he continued he will not be sated until he made the boy come in his pants. Hard and loud.

"So nice for me,'' he hardened the grip as Freddy opened his mouth in silent moan, eyes already glistening and unseeing. He smirked, pinched his cheek and decided to raise his voice a bit, so the others would think they were just messing around as usual, "and so cute.''

He cooed and watching the immediate fire that started burning in the shorter boy's dark eyes.

"I'll fucking murder you, dude,'' Freddy slapped the offending hand away and hissed like a small ruffled kitten.

"We'll see about that the next time we train,'' Billy laughed triumphantly, his hand sneaking between the boy's legs, palming harshly the small bulge. He smirked knowingly when Freddy's half hard cock twitched in his hand.

Freddy opened his mouth in surprise at the daring move and immediately tried to smack the green-eyed devilish boy with his crutch. Fucking tease.

Billy managed to escape the crippling blow intended for him and cackled.

"I'll come to you later for the usual report,'' the taller boy winked and turned around to go to the others.

"Don't you fucking come near me ever again!'' Freddy hissed and Billy raised his middle finger at him without even looking back. The nerve.

Freddy huffed and decided it was time for departure.

"You all better keep Darla safe, you hear me, or I swear I would find some spell all of you will look like clowns every time you take your Shazam forms, do not test me,'' Freddy threatened them, words spilling in a record time. He walked towards Darla's wardrobe mumbled the magic words to open the portal to their lair, which, thank god, Mary had found a year ago scribbled in some ancient language on an old scroll. Freddy was definitely done feeling like a caveman, drawing runes here and there.

Darla looked quizzically at the boy's next to her.

"What does to castrate-" Pedro muffled her question with his palm against her mouth.

"Just a joke, Darla,'' he tried to smile sweetly at her. Darla squeezed her eyes a bit in doubt but then shrugged.

"'Kay," she turned around and went to sit on Eugene's bed, feet dangling and kicking the air expressing her excitement.

Freddy opened the wardrobe door and looked at the familiar path between dark rock walls.

He turned around and looked at Billy impatiently.

"SHAZAM!'' Billy invoked the spell to call upon their superpowers and five lightnings struck, transforming the five friends into their respective Shazam forms.

"I'll be staying at home, you idiot,'' Eugene looked at Billy from the chair next to the desk, which look two seconds away from breaking down by Eugene's new weight.

"I can't believe we still can not transform separately,'' Pedro sighed, brushing his fingers through his hair.

"That's what I'm hoping to find in these books this time around, 'cuz our Billy here sucks,'' Freddy rolled his eyes.

"Wanna grab my staff then, dude?'' The older version of Billy cackled, inclining the Magician's staff towards his best friend, offering power exchange.

Freddy sighed. If not else, at least Billy had learned how to summon that stick.

"Gimme that shit, jerk,'' Freddy took it out of his hand and returned to the wardrobe. "Be careful, guys.''

Freddy walked through the wardrobe door like he was in fucking Narnia and when he turned around to make sure the door to their house was gone, he sighed and continued walking to the '_throne_' room, where the old dusty books were waiting for him. The lightning on his chest serving him like the perfect torch in a dusty old tunnel.

At least in this form it was possible to read the scroll and books, which was more than great, because if he had to go to some creepy public libraries to look for ancient texts and scripts...

Oh, _joy_.

Freddy shivered and continued mumbling to himself.


End file.
